F1 News

Renault want to promote driver from academy by 2021

Renault want to promote driver from academy by 2021

15-09-2019 08:19
Author profile picture

Bobby Vincent

Renault managing director Cyril Abiteboul has admitted the team is aiming to promote a junior driver from their academy by the 2021 season.

Recently, it was announced that Esteban Ocon will be replacing Nico Hulkenberg to partner Daniel Ricciardo for the French works team next season, after initially passing up on Ocon a year ago.

"It was important when given the opportunity to seize the opportunity of a complete driver in Daniel last year and we don't regret that at Renault," Abiteboul told RaceFans.

"Just like right now, we think it's the right moment to start having some fresher blood. I think it's a trend actually you can see in several teams. We are also interested in young drivers with our academy.

"We hope and expect to have possibly one driver from that academy by 2021. So it's also a shift of dynamic to start really welcoming young drivers in our line-up.

"It's not something that we would have been capable of doing two years ago but I think with more maturity in the team we can now envisage that. And that would be a good test to see if we are capable of also managing that because it's a different type of management. Managing some who is 20, 22 or in his thirties, that's different."